The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway

30/08/2026

TEDDY BEARS’ PICNIC – THIS BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY! 🚂

Looking for something special to do with the family this Bank Holiday Monday? Grab your favourite teddy and join us at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway for our Teddy Bears’ Picnic!

Enjoy a wonderful day out on the railway, with a journey through the beautiful Derbyshire countryside and plenty of teddy bear fun along the way.

🧸 Don’t forget to bring your favourite teddy!
🚂 Enjoy a heritage train ride
🌳 Take in the stunning Ecclesbourne Valley
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 A great Bank Holiday day out for the whole family

Make some memories, bring along your picnic and, most importantly, make sure Teddy has their ticket for an adventure on the railway!

Join us this Bank Holiday Monday at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway.

27/08/2026

There’s plenty to enjoy at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway over the next few days — and The Duke is back in action!

Join us today for our Tea & Cake Special, followed by the Cream Tea Countryman on Friday and the Sunday Countryman to round off the weekend.

With The Duke returning to the railway, it’s a great time to come along, enjoy a journey through the Derbyshire countryside and soak up the atmosphere of heritage rail travel.

Cream Tea Countryman:
https://www.e-v-r.com/cream-tea-countryman/

Sunday Countryman:
https://www.e-v-r.com/sunday-countryman-dining/

26/08/2026

Santa’s Enchanted Journey returns to the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway this Christmas! 🎄

Join us for a magical festive adventure as Santa and his helpers return to the railway for another unforgettable Christmas.

With twinkling lights, festive surroundings and plenty of Christmas magic along the way, Santa’s Enchanted Journey is a wonderful experience for the whole family and a very special way to begin the countdown to Christmas.

📅 Selected dates from 28th November to 24th December 2026

November
- Saturday 28th - Sunday 29th

December
- Saturday 5th - Sunday 6th
- Saturday 12th - Sunday 13th
- Saturday 19th through until Thursday 24th

Our Santa trains are always incredibly popular, so we recommend booking early to secure your preferred date and time.

🎟️ Book your Santa’s Enchanted Journey today and make Christmas 2026 one to remember!

https://wyvernrail.digitickets.co.uk/event-tickets/51118?catID=50163

25/08/2026

We can’t wait to welcome The Duke back to the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway!

Following scheduled maintenance and safety challenges due to the prolonged drought, The Duke will soon be back where it belongs, taking to the rails once again through the beautiful Ecclesbourne Valley.

A firm favourite with visitors, volunteers and photographers alike, it’s always a fantastic sight to see The Duke out on the line — and we’re looking forward to seeing it back in action very soon.

Who else is looking forward to seeing The Duke return from this Friday?

24/08/2026

All aboard for Santa’s Enchanted Journey! 🎄

Christmas magic is coming to the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, and we can’t wait to welcome families aboard for Santa’s Enchanted Journey this festive season.

Step aboard your heritage train at Wirksworth and set off on a wonderfully festive adventure through the Ecclesbourne Valley, with plenty of Christmas cheer along the way and, of course, a very special visit from Santa himself!

It’s a chance to make those magical Christmas memories together – the excitement of arriving at the station, climbing aboard the train and watching the children’s faces light up as their festive adventure begins.

Santa’s Enchanted Journey
Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
Wirksworth, Derbyshire
Selected dates throughout the festive season

Christmas will be here before we know it, so start planning something special to look forward to this December.

Book your Santa’s Enchanted Journey today:
https://wyvernrail.digitickets.co.uk/category/50163

21/08/2026

A familiar sight on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway this weekend – our Class 73 will be out on the line, hauling services through the beautiful Ecclesbourne Valley between Wirksworth and Duffield.

Built as electro-diesel locomotives for the Southern Region, the Class 73s are a particularly interesting part of British railway history, capable of operating from third-rail electricity as well as under their own diesel power. Today, 001 remains a firm favourite with enthusiasts and make an impressive sight at the head of our heritage trains.

Despite the welcome rain over the last few days, The Duke is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance, so our Class 73 will be stepping up to take charge of services.

Come along, enjoy a journey through the Derbyshire countryside and spend a day with us on the railway.

18/08/2026

All aboard the Sunday Countryman! 🚂

Make Sunday lunch a little more memorable with a journey through the beautiful Derbyshire countryside aboard the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway.

Our Sunday Countryman is the perfect way to sit back, relax and enjoy a leisurely Sunday aboard one of our heritage trains, with great food, wonderful views and plenty of railway atmosphere along the way.

Whether you’re celebrating something special, treating the family or simply fancy a Sunday out with a difference, leave the car behind and let the train take the strain!

🎟️ Book your Sunday Countryman experience today.

https://www.e-v-r.com/sunday-countryman-dining/

18/08/2026

We’re delighted to launch our latest video introducing our fundraising appeal!

Neil Ferguson-Lee and Graham Bilbie explain the issues facing the railway and why charitable contributions are so important.

To ensure we continue to operate safely into the future, we need to replace 400 sleepers, which require hundreds of tons of ballast.

£35 buys a new sleeper and £25 a ton of ballast, but any contribution will help secure our foundations for the future.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/ns8zp6-foundations-for-the-future

18/08/2026

Sadly, The Duke will be continuing its break from passenger services this week.

Despite the small amount of rain we’ve had recently, conditions along the line remain extremely dry. With the safety of our railway, lineside vegetation and surrounding countryside our absolute priority, we’ve made the difficult decision not to operate The Duke on our scheduled services this Thursday and Friday.

We know how much everyone enjoys seeing The Duke at the head of our trains, and we’re just as disappointed that circumstances mean we have to postpone steam services a further week.

There is still plenty of heritage traction to enjoy, though. The visiting Class 20 will take charge of services on Thursday, while the rest of the weekend's services will be hauled by our Class 73.

Thank you for your understanding – and for helping us put the safety of our railway and the beautiful countryside we travel through first.

17/08/2026

The magic is returning to Wirksworth! ✨

We’re delighted to be part of Wirksworth Wizarding Day 2026 on 4th October, as the town once again transforms for a spellbinding day of wizarding fun!

It’s fantastic to see this year’s event featured by the Derbyshire Times, and we’re incredibly excited to be playing our part in what promises to be another magical day in Wirksworth.

🚂 Expect heritage railway magic, plenty of wizarding atmosphere and lots more to look forward to as the big day approaches.

Keep your eyes peeled — we’ll be revealing more about what’s happening at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway very soon! 🪄

Harry Potter fans set to descend on Derbyshire for magical event